SOCCERVOICE.COM, 12.10.2009
The men behind the man, why they are important

Svennis, Sir Alex and Mourinho gets all the publicity, but what about the men behind them
 

This is not somethinng new in football. To get results you need not just one fantastic manager you need a group of people behind him that makes this happen.

Tord Grip has been Sven Goran Eriksson's assistant or mentor if you like for the last 35 years. They have followed each other for a very long time, but they also had reverse roles.

Tord was in charge of Degerfors and Sven was his assistant. They have not always been a couple and Grip has been in charge of clubs during the 70's and 80's without a partnership with Sven.

Brian Clough never managed to win the league without Peter Taylor as his assistant. The influence of Taylor has never been recognised enough. They were both a big influence to the 1972 Derby win and also when Nottingham Forest won in 1978.

Les Cocker was a fantastic coach at Leeds and also the man training the England players before and during the 1966 World Cup.

Don Revie and Sir Alex Ramsey got all the credit, and since they picked the team, they will for always be remembered as the persons doing the final decissions and having the last say.

Cocker did a fantastic job for both club and country and he knows by himself how much his work influenced the results and performances out on the pitch.

Arsenal won the double in the 1970-71 season with a certain Bertie Mee in charge. Bertie was a former physio at the club and a good organiser, But his tachtical skills and football knowledge was not what he was famous for. Don Howe did that job, and their partnership made a perfect management team.

When Don left Arsenal and became manager of WBA, nothing became the same. Mee couldn't manage to stop the downfall at Highbury and finally lost his job. Howe will never be remembered for his management skills at WBA.

In the game today, Martin O'Neill is a very respected manager and he has for a long time worked with John Robbertson (assistant) and Steve Walford (head coach). O'Neill is known as the mastermind, but the fact that he has Walford and Robbertson makes him a better manager than most.

Sammy Lee was often described as the man behind the Bolton revelution, while Big Sam was in charge. Many also said that Big Sam's difficult times at Newcastle could have been avoided if he had taken Lee with him. Lee is today assistant to Benitez in Liverpool and makes a vital impact.

Arsenal is another example of a club that has a manager that gets all the credit. Pat Rice has been at this side almost since Wenger arrived. Rice has never really been given much credit for the work he has done and hopefully Arsene knows the value of his assistant.

Sir Alex Ferguson has over the years had a number of assistants. Brian Kidd and Carlos Queiroz are two former assistants at Old Trafford. Both of them were tempted by the chance of becoming a manager themselves but has not yet shown the greatness and success being the number one themselves.

Both Kidd and Queiroz are described as fantastic assistants and recognised for that. The teams they have been involved with at Man Utd have been fantastic. Both Queiroz and Kidd has got a great deal of publicity for their jobs and that shows the fact that Sir Alex can also develope assistants.

Steve Clarke is another example of an assistant that in many ways has given this role a new dimention. He was "transferred" from Chelsea to West Ham. He must have been one of very few to have experienced to be sold, for a fee, to take up a role as an assistant manager.

To have a strong team behind you, and people you can trust, makes you stronger as a manager. Without that strength you will not be able to go forward. Chelsea can this season be a great candidate for the league title with Ancelotti and Wilkins builidng a good understanding.

Ray Wilkins has never really been given full credit for his work and in a way been a bit unlucky. He has a fantastic playing career behind him at Stamford Bridge, and hopefully he will be able to crown his work at Chelsea with a number of trophies this season.

The men behind the man deserves more credit and could often be the answer for success.








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